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Fishbowl/Warehouse vs Manufacturing
A Fishbowl Partner · Editions

Fishbowl Warehouse or Fishbowl Manufacturing?

Both editions turn QuickBooks into a real inventory operation. The difference is whether you build things. Here is what each one adds, who it suits, and how to avoid paying for a module you will never open.

✓ Vendor-independent advice✓ No pressure to over-license
Typical fit
10–200 employeesboth
Multiple warehousesboth
Builds or assembles productManufacturing
Buys and resells onlyWarehouse
How it works with QuickBooks

QuickBooks becomes the accounting module.

That is the part most people misunderstand. Fishbowl does not sit beside QuickBooks — it takes over operations and hands accounting back.

01
Initial integration
Fishbowl downloads your customers, vendors, inventory and company information directly out of QuickBooks into its own database.
02
Day-to-day operations
After that, Fishbowl runs sales, purchasing, inventory and — on the Manufacturing edition — production. Order entry, receiving, picking and shipping all happen there.
03
Accounting sync
When products sell, Fishbowl updates inventory and tells QuickBooks to create the invoices, bills and adjustments. Far fewer people need a QuickBooks login, which is better for security.
04
Everything else plugs in
An open API connects shipping, ecommerce, time management and mobile warehouse tools so information passes automatically instead of being re-keyed.
Feature comparison

QuickBooks alone vs QuickBooks with Fishbowl

CapabilityQuickBooks only †QuickBooks with Fishbowl
Accounting methodsAverage costing & FIFOLIFO, FIFO, standard & average costing
Barcode printing & scanningNoSupported
Bill of materialsAssemblyMultiple levels and stages
Displays work-in-processNo*Supported
Drop shippingNo*Supported
Landed costingNo*Supported
LocationsSitesMultiple locations supported
Manufacture & work ordersAssemblyAssembly, disassembly & custom
Multiple finished goodsNoUnlimited
Multiple location part trackingLimitedMore than you will ever need
Multiple vendors per itemOne onlyUnlimited
Part trackingLot or serialSerial, lot & revision #, expiry & custom fields
Pick routingNoSupported
Product / kit configuratorNoUnlimited
Remote accessVPN only*Any network connection
RMANoSupported
Transfer ordersNoSupported
User access rightsRole-basedRole-based & granular feature-based
Variable pricing & discountingPercentage, amountPercent, amount, group & cost-plus
WarehousesNoSupported

† QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Enterprise. * Enterprise has partial functionality for these features.

Choose Warehouse if…
You buy and resell rather than build. You need real inventory control, multiple locations, barcoding and proper part tracking — but no production floor. Fewer features, lower price.
Choose Manufacturing if…
You assemble, build or configure product. You get multi-level BOMs, work-in-process visibility, disassembly and custom work orders, and can split production into manageable stages.
Do not over-license
The Manufacturing edition costs more because it does more. If you will never open a work order, that money is better spent on reports or training.
Once you have picked an edition, consulting and training get it running. See everything we do with Fishbowl Inventory.

Not sure which edition you need?

Tell us what you make, move and sell. We will tell you which edition fits — including when the answer is the cheaper one.